ALMA Observatory Overview

ALMA is primarily used to study the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies by observing the millimeter and submillimeter wavelength radiation emitted by cold gas and dust in these regions.

ALMA is located in the Atacama Desert of Chile, which is known for its extremely dry and clear skies, making it an ideal location for astronomical observations.

ALMA is a radio telescope, which means it detects and analyzes radio waves emitted by celestial objects.

ALMA consists of an array of 66 high-precision antennas, each measuring 12 meters in diameter.

ALMA observes millimeter and submillimeter wavelength radiation, which falls between the infrared and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

ALMA has an angular resolution of 0.1 arcseconds, which allows it to resolve fine details in astronomical objects.

ALMA has a sensitivity of 100 μJy, which means it can detect very faint astronomical signals.

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Partnership is a collaboration between Europe, North America, and East Asia.

ALMA was inaugurated in 2013.

The total cost of the ALMA project is $1.4 billion.

Chile hosts the ALMA Operations Support Facility.

The name of the ALMA Regional Center in North America is the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC).

The name of the ALMA Regional Center in Europe is the European ALMA Regional Center (EARC).

The name of the ALMA Regional Center in East Asia is the East Asian ALMA Regional Center (EAARC).

The primary scientific goal of ALMA is to study the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies by observing the millimeter and submillimeter wavelength radiation emitted by cold gas and dust in these regions.